Species

Grebes

Grebes Pied-billed Grebe Foitheach Gob-Alabhreac Podilymbus podiceps Rare vagrant. Five county records up to the end of 2020, with four records from 1997 to 2000 possibly involving the same individual. 2010/11 Cork Harbour (between Little Island and Great Island) 11th December 2010 to 3rd February 2011 2010 Little Island, from 10th December until 3rd February…

Geese

Geese       Taiga Bean Goose Gé Síolghé Taiga Anser fabalis Rare vagrant. Three county records involving 33 birds up to the end of 2020. 1984 One at Ballymacoda from 28th April to the 16th May. 1982 Up to 27 at Ballintotis, near Midleton, on from the 5th to the 28th January. 1981 Two…

Gannets and Boobies

Gannets and Boobies (Northern) Gannet Gainéad (Thuaidh) Morus bassana Breeding Species and common offshore during the spring, summer and autumn. Scarce during winter months. The only breeding colony in the county is on the Bull Rock where 6,388 breeding pairs were counted in 2014. Large movements along the coast usually observed between August and October…

Frigatebirds

Frigatebirds Frigatebird sp. Frigéad sp. Fregata sp. Rare vagrant. One county record up to end of 2020. 1973 Cape Clear Island, 24th August. This is the first Irish record. Global Distribution: Frigatebirds are tropic and sub-tropic in distribution and the species most like to be seen in Ireland is the Magnificent Frigatebird. This species is distributed…

Flycatchers

Flycatchers Spotted Flycatcher Cuilire Liath Muscicapa striata Uncommon breeding summer visitor and passage migrant. Species seems to becoming rarer in recent decades. Recent genetic studies have revealed that this species is more closely related to the Robin rather than the flycatcher family. Global Distribution: Europe, Africa and Asia.     Summer Distribution 1968-72   Summer…

Finches

Finches (Common) Chaffinch Rí Rua (Coitianta) Fringilla coelebs Common resident breeding species, passage migrant & winter visitor. Global Distribution: Europe, North Africa and western Asia.   Summer Distribution   Winter Distribution Brambling Breacán Fringilla montifringilla Scarce passage migrant & winter visitor. More numerous in some years than others. Global Distribution: A widespread breeder in Fennoscandia and…

Falcons

Falcons (Common) Kestrel Pocaire Gaoithe (Coitianta) Falco tinnunculus Common resident breeding species and winter visitor throughout the county. Global Distribution: Europe, Africa and Asia.   Summer Distribution   Winter Distribution Red-footed Falcon Fabhcún Cosdearg Falco vespertinus Rare vagrant. Seven county records up to the end of 2020. 2017 Barryroe/Dunworley, one on the 25th May. 2012…

Ducks (Diving)

Diving Ducks Red-crested Pochard Póiseard Cíordhearg Netta rufina Rare migrant. Also birds escaped from captivity are seen now and then. Five county records considered relating to wild birds up to the end of 2020. 1996 Rostellan, a female from the 27th to the 30th October. 1995 Curraghlicky Lake, Drinagh, one from the 21st to the…

Dippers

Dippers (White-throated) Dipper Gabha Dubh (Píbgheal) Cinclus cinclus Uncommon though widespread resident breeding species on waterways. The Dippers seen in Ireland as of a distinct subspecies C. cinclus hibernicus. Global Distribution: his species is patchily distributed across Eurasia, occurring in the U.K., Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Liechtenstein,…

Cuckoos

Cuckoos Great Spotted Cuckoo Mórchuach Bhreac Clamator glandarius Rare Vagrant. One county record up to the end of 2020. One at Ringaskiddy on the 15th February 2009. Global Distribution: This species range spans southern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. The largest proportion of breeding individuals in Europe (>80%) are found in Spain (Ibanez-Alamo et al. 2019). …